Monday, August 31, 2009

1) Today is the first day of school, and since my youngest is starting kindergarten, I walked the kids into school this morning. The principal greeted me, saying "Now you have both kids in school! Going back home to a quiet house?" To which I replied, "Um, no, actually, I have to go to work." To be fair, I dressed this morning in jeans and a T-shirt, so I guess I could see the confusion. But still, what's the point in being in a profession where I can dress how I like if the rest of the world is still going to judge me by my clothes anyway?

2) This blog is attracting more and more spammers. The latest one is from some guy who would like me to link to his blog that rehashes space science news. I'd be more tempted to click through and see what his blog actually was about if the email weren't addressed to "Dear Sir."

An astronomer from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is leading a world-wide push to encourage organizations to do more to support and encourage female astronomers.

Earlier this month, in her role as Chair of the group 'She is An Astronomer', Dr. Helen Walker, from STFCs Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), successfully presented a new resolution to the world renowned International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly in Brazil.

The new resolution states that IAU members should encourage and support the female astronomers in their communities and that national representatives should encourage national organizations to break down barriers and ensure that men and women are given equal opportunities to pursue a successful career in astronomy at all levels and career steps.

Even though astronomy continues to attract women, there is wide geographical diversity, with some countries having none and other countries having more than 50% female professional astronomers. These numbers drop towards more senior levels, suggesting that scientific careers are heavily affected by social and cultural factors, and are not determined solely by ability.

Dr. Helen Walker said, "The resolution is a great result which will help to ensure that organizations world-wide do more to support the careers of female astronomers. Ensuring that women have the same opportunities as men is not only beneficial to the increasing numbers of talented female scientists but also to the advancement of science which relies on continued interest by talented people, dedicated to pushing its boundaries. It?s great that STFC, which funds the majority of Astronomy here in the UK, is supporting the work of the 'She is an Astronomer' group."

She is an Astronomer is one of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009) Cornerstone projects. The overall aim of the project is to provide information to female professional and amateur astronomers, students and those interested in the gender equality problem in science. An objective of the project is to build and maintain an easy-to-handle forum and database, where people can get information about the subject, ask questions and find answers. The website

is the main tool to address the aims and objectives of this IYA2009 Cornerstone.

Back to top.2. 'She Is An Astronomer' 2010 CalendarFrom: Andrea Schweitzer [schweitz_at_frii.com>]

The 'She Is An Astronomer' cornerstone project of the International Year of Astronomy has produced a colorful calendar for 2010 featuring accomplished women astronomers from around the world. "With this calendar we aim to help reconstruct the history of women in astronomy, which, as in other fields of knowledge, is poorly known. We have highlighted exceptional women whose contributions to the advancement of science deserve to transcend anonymity and occupy a place in history. We have tried to give visibility and to value the contributions of women astronomers from different epochs and countries." The illustrated calendar can be downloaded from:

Back to top.3. Poster Solicitation for Women in Astronomy and Space Science ConferenceFrom: Women in Astronomy 2009

The Women in Astronomy and Space Science Conference on Meeting the Challenges of an Increasing Diverse Workforce is to be held October 21-23, 2009 at The Inn and Conference Center in College Park, Maryland. Poster submissions are invited on all topics related to the general theme of the conference including

For Institutional Success: - Best practices for an effective mentoring program - What it takes to recruit a diverse pool of excellent applicants - Avoiding unconscious bias for research committees, promotion review, recommendation letters, etc. - How to set up family friendly facilities and policies, i.e., for lactation, childcare, long term care, etc.

For Individual Success; - Best practices for writing a winning proposal and giving an effective science talk - Things to accomplish during your postdoc that will help you land your first real job - Navigating the challenges of various workplace environments, particularly when you are a member of a non-dominant group - Managing your first graduate student and postdoc: What should your goals be?

To register your poster or to find more information on the meeting, please see

Sky Rangers workshops, which are part of the Astronomy from the Ground Up program, are designed for educators and interpreters from parks, nature centers, and other informal outdoor and environmental educational facilities. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific will offer two types of Sky Rangers workshops:

- Four-day workshop (October 13-16, 2009) at Bryce Canyon National Park This workshop covers hands-on astronomy activities for outdoor settings, sky navigation, and telescope operation. A stunning dark sky location, Bryce Canyon NP is a leader in astronomy in the parks. There is no workshop or materials fee, and participants will be allotted a $500 stipend toward transportation, food, and lodging for all non-NPS employees.

- Six-week online workshop This workshop covers hands-on astronomy activities for outdoor settings and sky navigation. Participants will become comfortable locating and interpreting objects in the night sky and will create a personal interpretive sky tour. There is no workshop or materials fee.

Both workshops are intended for beginners in astronomy, but will also appeal to those with more experience. Participants of all Sky Rangers workshops will receive a free toolkit of materials for outdoor astronomy activities, participate in short online follow-up sessions that cover seasonal skies, and become members of the Astronomy from the Ground Up online community of over 450 informal astronomy educators around the U.S.

Sky Ranger workshops and materials are developed and delivered by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), the National Association for Interpretation (NAI), and the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), thanks to generous funding from NASA.

The Michigan Society of Fellows was founded in 1970 through grants from the Ford Foundation and Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies for the purpose of promoting academic and creative excellence in the humanities, the arts, the social, physical, and life sciences, and in the professions. In 2007, the Mellon Foundation awarded a grant to add four Mellon Fellows annually in the humanities, expanding the number of fellowships awarded each year from four to eight. The objective of the Society is to provide financial and intellectual support for individuals selected for outstanding achievement, professional promise, and interdisciplinary interests. We invite applications from qualified candidates for three-year postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Michigan.

Candidates should be near the beginning of their professional careers. Those selected for fellowships must have received the Ph.D. degree or comparable artistic or professional degree between June 1, 2007, and September 1, 2010. Fellows are appointed as Assistant Professors or Research Scientists in appropriate departments and as Postdoctoral Scholars in the Michigan Society of Fellows. They are expected to be in residence in Ann Arbor during the academic years of the fellowship, to teach for the equivalent of one academic year, to participate in the informal intellectual life of the Society, and to devote time to their independent research or artistic projects. Applications from degree candidates and recipients of the Ph.D. from the University of Michigan will not be considered.

Applications will be reviewed by Society members and University faculty. Final selections will be made in late January by Senior Fellows of the Society. Eight Fellows will be selected for three-year terms to begin September 1, 2010. The annual stipend will be $51,500.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Someday, I will find enough space in my head and time in my life to come up with an honest-to-goodness posting, but for now I present you with a few interesting links.

Evgenya commented on the previous post about anonymous blogging, and coincidentally, Alice Pawley of ScienceWomen writes about the same subject here, weighing the costs and benefits of anonymous versus non-anonymous blogging.

The IAU General Assembly this past week passed its first-ever resolution on Women in Astronomy. The resolution is included below in its entirety and can be found in the online version of the General Assembly Newspaper at the following link (Resolution B4):

Do you know a woman in science or engineering who has taken a career break from her academic position?

In an effort to understand the pipeline of women professors in science and engineering we are conducting a NSF-sponsored survey on women in career breaks, whether voluntary or not. We are interested in women who have completed their PhD or DSc, have been employed in an academic setting and were, or have been, in a career break for less than five years. We are seeking to interview such women to help us determine better ways for individuals who have been in career breaks to be reintegrated into the academic pipeline.

If you are someone who fits this profile or know of someone who does, please contact Dean Rachelle Heller at sheller_at_gwu.edu to set up an interview.

Elizabeth D. Freeland

Back to top.3. Role ModelsFrom: Kris Sellgren [sellgren_at_astronomy.ohio-state.edu]

Margaret Burbidge is an amazing role model for me. I grew up in the 60s and 70s in San Diego. She was a professor at UC San Diego, and there was a lot of local newspaper coverage about her research. She was the only woman scientist that I knew of, other than Marie Curie. I turned down Stanford to go to UC San Diego as an undergraduate, because of the growing astrophysics research group she was part of, and because it would be so cool to be at the same institution as Margaret. And it was cool! I was able to take classes from her; I was able to see her working as a scientist down the hall from the lab where I was doing undergrad research. When I went to grad school at Caltech, her breaking down of barriers to women observing at Mt. Wilson was legendary (as were Judy Cohen's contributions!). I will be forever grateful to her (I hope you are reading this, Margaret!).

The North American ALMA Science Center (the NAASC) has openings for three scientists to work in the area of advanced user support. The NAASC is headquartered at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory headquarters in Charlottesville, VA. ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array, when inaugurated in 2012, will be the most powerful (sub)millimeter interferometer ever constructed, and will transform our understanding of topics ranging from the formation of nearby protoplanetary disks to the first galaxies at the earliest epochs of the Universe. Commissioning of the first ALMA antennas in Chile has commenced, in preparation for early science in 2011. The NAASC is currently under rapid expansion in preparation for its role in support of North American users through all stages of their ALMA research, from observing time application through data publication. These positions will be filled at the assistant, associate, or scientist level, depending on experience.

The successful candidates will be members of the NAASC team of scientists, and will provide advanced scientific and technical support to members of the North American ALMA user community. In addition, the successful candidates will have the opportunity to pursue a vigorous and independent research program. Each NAASC team member will provide support in some or all of the following areas: user support & training; workshop & tutorial planning; user documentation; and community outreach. The successful candidates will be expected to become proficient in the use of the ALMA end-user tools, and take the lead on one or more tools and/or area of ALMA expertise. There will be opportunities for moderate travel to Chile, including taking brief “turns” as Astronomer-on-Duty at the ALMA Observing Support Facility in northern Chile.

The successful candidates will have a demonstrated record of independent research in an area related to the goals of ALMA. A superior ability to communicate with the ALMA users, from novice to expert, is required, including direct assistance for visiting observers, on-line help, and teaching at workshops and tutorials.

Requirements include a PhD in astronomy, physics or a related field, and two years post graduate experience in astronomical observing and data processing. A strong background in observational astronomy, astrophysical processes, and data reduction techniques is preferred, particularly in radio/mm/submm interferometric observing techniques. Proficiency with one or more radio interferometric data processing languages such as CASA, AIPS, MIRIAD and GILDAS, would be advantageous, particularly CASA, which is the adopted environment for ALMA.

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is playing a leading role in the construction and operations of the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA). When inaugurated in 2012, ALMA will be the most powerful (sub)millimeter interferometer ever constructed, and will transform our understanding of topics ranging from the formation of nearby protoplanetary disks to the earliest epochs of galaxy formation. The North American ALMA Science Center (NAASC) located at NRAO headquarters in Charlottesville, VA (on the campus of the University of Virginia) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow to work with the NAASC scientific staff as it gears up to support the needs of the community when ALMA early science begins in 2011. The initial appointment beginning in spring 2010, will be for two years, with the possibility of extending for a third year.

This position is aimed primarily at independent research, but with an emphasis on exercising ALMA end-to-end software and databases from a scientific perspective. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with NAASC scientists and to participate in the organization of ALMA scientific workshops, ALMA commissioning, and various other user support projects. The successful candidate is encouraged to assist in the development and maintenance of Splatalogue - the Database for Astronomical Spectroscopy ( http://www.splatalogue.net ) and will work with NAASC scientists to update and enhance the current capabilities and data available in the database. The position will be based at the NAASC in Charlottesville, VA and will offer an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the tools needed to make the most of ALMA's scientific promise.

To be considered, applicants must have an advanced degree in astronomy, chemistry, physics or a related field. Experience in any area of astronomical research is welcome. Skills in either molecular spectroscopy or automated line identification are also desirable but not required. Scientific programming capabilities are also desirable.

and should include a curriculum vitae, bibliography, cover letter, and statement of research interests with ALMA as well as past and planned independent scientific research. Applicants should also arrange to have three reference letters sent directly to NRAO by the deadline below. Please direct any inquires to Anthony Remijan at

aremijan_at_nrao.edu.

Initial review of applicants will begin on January 5, 2010; however, applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

[Last week, Margaret Burbidge was listed by Jill Tarter as a personal hero and inspiration. Here is more information about this pioneering woman astronomer -- eds.]

Geoff Burbidge was kind enough to relate the history of how Margaret (and he) opened up the mountain tops for female observers. I think this story should be shared and commemorated.

Dear Jill and Ivan,

I don't know what you are proposing for Margaret but here are the facts concerning her observing at Mt. Wilson. We took a position in Pasadena in September 1955. I was a Carnegie fellow - the first theoretician - and Margaret had an appointment at Caltech in Kellogg supported by the Atomic Energy Commission. When it came to observing time I was eligible for observing time at Mt. Wilson as a Carnegie fellow but Margaret was not. Palomar was off limits to all junior staff at Mt. Wilson and all Carnegie fellows. It is correct to say that Margaret got observing time because I applied for it and it was given to me and not to her even though it was an open secret that Margaret was the observer.

Of course, we had to stay at the Agassiz cottage because women were allowed to stay at the monastery. This worked alright until the Spring of 1956 when the weather was bad and I told Humason who was the Secretary of Mt. Wilson that we would have to go up to Mt. Wilson in the truck and not drive our own car up because of the weather conditions. Up to that time we had always driven our own car up there. Milton said that while I could go up in truck Margaret could not. This led to a real row. We told our friends at Caltech and particularly Willie Fowler about this discrimination and they got extremely angry. Ira Bowen, the director of Mt. Wilson, supported Humason's decision. At Caltech the president of Caltech was informed of this situation and he became so angry that he told us that he would call Bowen about this. He did this in our presence together with Willy Fowler in his office at Caltech. Bowen relented and allowed us both to travel up in the truck. From that point on it became clear that Margaret had more rights on the mountain than any woman had. But still they maintained that women were not allowed to observe up there (she was the sole exception). This went on during our whole stay while I was a Carnegie fellow and she was basically at Caltech. This was the year (1956) when our daughter Sarah was born and of course we published B^2FH.

Back to top.4. Seeking nominations for Australian Women in Physics Lecure Tour 2010From: Rachel Ivie [rivie_at_aip.org]

The Australian Institute of Physics has a special program which funds a women to undertake a lecture tour in Australia to talk to schools, the general public and physicists. This year nominations have been opened internationally to women physicists to be nominated. Please see the web site for more information: http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/wip/Main/Wiplecturer

Newsletter No. 3 is now available from PRA.G.E.S. The project "PRActising Gender Equality in Science" - PRA.G.E.S. consists of an action of coordination, lasting 21 months, aimed at comparing the various strategies implemented for promoting the presence of women in decision-making positions relating to scientific research in public institutions. It pursues the objective of collecting, classifying and evaluating good practices and positive actions (involving those where a positive contribution from men is recorded) that can be found in OECD countries, both at the national level and at the level of the individual institutions, and to make them available, in a usable form, to a number of selected targets, including both decision-makers and other relevant stakeholders.

The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) is the world's largest fully steerable telescope. Working at wavelengths ranging from 100cm through 3mm, the GBT supports a diverse range of scientific research. Additionally, the GBT has an ongoing program of research and development projects which keeps the telescope at the cutting edge of science and technology. The Green Bank observatory combines an academic setting with a rural environment.

The Software Development Division at the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in Green Bank, WV, is seeking a Software Engineer to provide support for the scientists who use the GBT. The successful candidate will join a team of professionals engaged in research and development in the fields of science, engineering, software development, and education. Work will likely be directed initially toward improvements in the post-observing data analysis and reduction software, as well as developing data reduction and analysis software infrastructure for existing instrumentation.

A minimum of a B.S. degree in astronomy, physics, computer science, or related field is required. Advanced education or other acquired background in radio astronomy, physics, astronomical data reduction, or spectroscopy is desirable, as is experience in IDL, object-oriented programming, and/or Python. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required.

Applicants can apply online at https://careers.nrao.edu . Review of applications will begin immediately; however, applications will be accepted until the position has been filled. NRAO is an Equal Opportunity Employer - D/V/M/F

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is recruiting a Software Engineer II to assist the North American ALMA Science Center (NAASC) operations. The position is located at the Observatory’s headquarters in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The successful candidate will help evaluate, deploy, maintain, and write applications for the NAASC user portal and support the configuration and operation of the NRAO helpdesk. Will require constructively evaluating and leveraging existing NRAO web services and content, ALMA and NRAO prototypes, and new technologies. Duties will also include architectural design, development, and maintenance activities, in addition to working with stakeholders and users to articulate and elucidate requirements, and produce designs that support an integrated deployment of web-based applications throughout NRAO. Will also design, recommend and deploy strategies to integrate multiple web-based systems to support the diverse needs of the North American ALMA user community through a User Portal that is consistent in look, feel and message with the NRAO and ALMA User Portals; configure and customize forms for the NRAO helpdesk; maintain helpdesk implementation; understand technologies associated with authentication and single sign-on; manage and extend content management systems in support of the NAASC web site; formulate and operate a configuration management scheme for applications linked to the User Portal; interact with users, as needed, to assure that user needs are met by the User Portal implementation and its underlying applications.

Qualifications preferred include a Master’s Degree in Computer Science with four to seven years of related experience. Experience in website testing and site architecture. Experience implementing and deploying helpdesk systems. Astronomical knowledge and/or interest. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications. Skills and working knowledge in these or related areas: UNIX and Windows operating systems, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Java, Tomcat, the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP), plone, TWiki, Drupal, Joomla

Interested applicants may apply online at https://careers.nrao.edu and should include a resume and cover letter. Review of applicants will begin immediately; however, applications will be accepted until the position is filled. NRAO is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.

Back to top.8. Postdoctoral Position in Exoplanets, Wesleyan UniversityFrom: Seth Redfield [sredfield_at_wesleyan.edu]

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position in exoplanets at Wesleyan University. The successful candidate will work in collaboration with Dr. Seth Redfield primarily on high resolution optical spectra of transiting exoplanets obtained with the 9.2-m Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The project is focused on characterizing the atmospheres of extrasolar planets using this rich observational dataset. Other related research areas of mutual interest may include gas absorption in edge-on debris disks and the structure of the local interstellar medium, using ground-based, Hubble, and Spitzer observations. Wesleyan has a Planetary Science Group that includes faculty from several departments. The successful candidate will be encouraged to interact with other faculty and to carry out independent research with full access to observational facilities available to Wesleyan. Experience with data reduction and analysis, high-resolution spectroscopy, and observational studies of exoplanets will be helpful. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in astronomy or astrophysics at the start of the appointment.

Wesleyan University is located between New York City and Boston, and has a small but active astronomy program, which emphasizes involvement of undergraduate and M.A. students in mainstream astronomical research. We are particularly interested in candidates who feel that they could both contribute to and flourish in this unique educational environment. The postdoc would have the opportunity, if desired, to take advantage of this setting to develop educational skills through mentoring students in research and possibly teaching. The position is available immediately, but the starting date is negotiable. Initial appointment would be for two years, although funding for at least one additional year is available. Applicants should send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, bibliography, statement of research experience and interests, and arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to the address above by 15 September 2009 for full consideration. Late applications will be considered until the position is filled.

Wesleyan University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer M/W/D/V and strongly encourages applications from women and minorities.

I second, third, and fourth Ivan King's appreciation of Margaret Burbidge. I am not as familiar with the activities that Ivan mentions, but for me she is a personal hero, having opened up the mountain tops for women observers in her quiet (and yes, devious :-) ) way.

Back to top.2. Science to Business Workshop, NAS, September 2009From: WIPHYS August 4, 2009

The Committee on Women in Science, Engineering and Medicine (CWSEM) of the National Academies has extended an invitation to all APS members to their upcoming workshop "From Science to Business: How to Prepare Female Scientists and Engineers to Successfully Transition into Entrepreneurship" on Monday August 31, 2009 to September 1, 2009. This workshop will be held at the Beckman Center ( http://www7.nationalacademies.org/beckman/index.html ) of The National Academies in Irvine, California.

This workshop will examine career transitions from science and engineering to entrepreneurship in the lives of women professionals and identify specific skill sets necessary for women to become successful in the business world. This workshop will also specifically focus on identifying knowledge gaps in women's skills and experiences crucial to the future success in business and critical for achieving leadership positions in entrepreneurial positions.

Back to top.3. A workshop on transitioning back into academiaFrom: Sciencewomen [ http://scienceblogs.com/sciencewoman/ ]

The ADVANCE Center for Institutional Change received an award from the National Science Foundation ADVANCE program to hold professional development workshops for Ph.D.-level women in industry, research labs, consulting, or national labs who are interested in transitioning to academic careers in STEM. The first workshop will be held October 18-20, 2009 in Seattle. A recent press release about the workshops is at: http://uwnews.org/uweek/article.aspx?id=49062

The workshop speakers will primarily be successful women faculty members who began their post-Ph.D. careers in industry, research labs, consulting, or national labs, and will come from a variety of types of institutions (public, private, research, liberal arts, etc.) The attendees, speakers, and workshop organizers will form a community who can support each other during the job application period, the interview process, the startup negotiations, and the first years in academia.